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By Helen Ross
PGATOUR.com Chief of Correspondents

NORTON, Mass. -- K.J. Choi, who ranks second in the FedExCup standings, withdrew from the Deustche Bank Championship on Friday with a back injury.

K.J. Choi finished two shots behind Steve Stricker last week in New York. (Getty)

The injury is not considered serious, and Choi's agent, Michael Yim, reached by phone Friday afternoon, said that Choi expects to play in the next two events of the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup.

"He will definitely play the next two weeks," Yim said. "He just needs the time off now. He wants to put himself in the best condition for Chicago and THE TOUR Championship (presented by Coca-Cola)."

Choi had come to the Deutsche Bank Championship with momentum. He finished second last week at The Barclays, which was the first Playoff event and trails the winner, Steve Stricker, by 2,050 points in the hunt for the $10 million bonus.

Choi withdrew Friday after shooting 73 in the first round at the TPC Boston. He went to the fitness trailer for treatment and then left the golf course.

"After he teed off today, on one of the first two holes, he felt the pain again in his lower back," Yim said. "The pain wasn't severe, but he didn't want to force it. He didn't want to play when he wasn't physically at his best.

"I was there walking with him. He wasn't hitting the driver well and you could see he was struggling."

Yim said Choi first injured his lower back in March at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard. The South Korean, a two-time winner already in 2007, actually first strained the muscle lifting one of his children out of the bathtub.

Choi had to withdraw after the third round at Bay Hill. He was able to play -- and finish tied for 19th -- the next week at the World Golf Championships-CA Championship, though.

Choi has played three of the last four weeks, including the PGA Championship where he tied for 12th in 100-degree heat. He has two wins, one second and three more finishes among the top 12 in his last seven starts.

During the one week he's taken off in the last month, Yim said that Choi, who won the Memorial Tournament presented by Morgan Stanley and AT&T National, was kept extremely busy by interview requests by Korean media outlets.

"We felt like maybe this would have been the week to get some rest," Yim said. "Now we can look back and think that maybe he should have taken the week off. His body has told him he needed some rest."

Choi was headed back to Houston on Friday evening. Yim said he expected Choi would head to Chicago to prepare for the Deutsche Bank Championship on Tuesday.